New Mutants: Zero
by MarvelUZero
Summary: So, if you follow my Zero Universe, this is a great story about one of my favorite X-Teams. X-Men: Cerebro Files Tie-In.
1. The Wild

In Boulder, Colorado, a young girl woke up from a nightmare.

She watched her parents die as they left the Native American reservation she lived on. The door opened and an elderly man with long gray hair rushed in. He was carrying a steaming cup of something.

"Here, child, drink this," he instructed, sitting on the edge of her bed and passing her the cup.

"What is it?" she asked before placing her lips on it.

"A small potion to ease your pain."

The girl took a sip and her worries instantly washed away. She went back to sleep and the man placed the cup on her nightstand if she ever woke up again.

She did wake up several times during the night. Each time, she would drink more and more of the potion.

As she sipped the last drop, she said in a hushed whisper, "Thank you, Grandfather, and was out again until the sun rose.

* * *

><p>The girl sat in the middle of the meadow that surrounded her home. She had just finished her archery practice and placed the bow and quiver full of arrows around her back. A soft hum drew her attention.<p>

She turned around and saw a magnificent white stallion.

"Hi," she said, pushing herself into a standing position.

She raised her hand and walked toward the horse.

"I'm Dani. What's your name?"

The stallion obviously didn't answer, but she got a sense that she should call the horse Brightwind.

"Dani!" her grandfather called.

"Coming Grandfather!" she called back.

She started running back home, Brightwind clopped behind her.

"Grandfather! Look what I found!" she called, entering the house.

But she stopped as she saw her grandfather being held by the neck by a pale woman with black hair and a a black dress. His veins where close to the surface where her hands were.

"Hello, Danielle," she said in an English accent. "I'd like for you to come with me."

Brightwind stepped behind Dani and the woman's smile faltered. A searing pain ripped through Dani's head. The woman screamed and Dani opened her eyes.

There were two of the woman now, but one was aged drastically.

"I do not fear this, girl!" the younger woman screamed at Dani.

"What. Are. You. Talking. About?" panted Dani.

The young woman grabbed the older one and lifted her into the air.

"Dani," her grandfather's voice said.

Dani looked up and saw it was coming from the older lady.

"Run," she said.

Dani jumped on the back of Brightwind and saw the woman change into her grandfather, then crumble into dust in the hands of the young woman. Her headache disappeared. The younger woman became even younger, a little older than Dani.

Brightwind ran away, faster than any horse should have. He carried her into a town Dani had never seen before. She suspected they were in another state.

"Where are we?" she asked the horse.

He nudged his head toward a small sign stuck in the ground.

_Bison, Kansas._

"Kansas?" Dani asked the horse who nodded. "Where are we going?"

Brightwind pointed his head northeast. Somehow, Dani took that as New York.

"What's in New York?" she asked.

The horse didn't respond.

No one noticed the barefoot Native American girl with a bow and quiver on her back riding a white stallion through the small town. Her stomach growled, so the horse let her walk into a grocery store to buy whatever little cash in her pocket could buy.

They camped in the forest outside of town.

"I think I might be a mutant," she told the horse, passing him an apple.

Brightwind chewed in agreement.

"That lady back there told me she wasn't afraid of the old lady. I think I can show people their fears."

A strange rustling came from the bushes.

Dani drew her bow and aimed it at the bushes.

"Come out," she ordered.

A small red wolf cowered out. It had pretty gold eyes.

Dani lowered her bow a little.

"Are you friendly?" she asked it.

The wolf seemed to nod, so Dani retracted her bow and placed the arrow back into her quiver.

"You hungry?"

The wolf nuzzled her leg. Dani looked at Brightwind.

"Oh, she's harmless," Dani told the horse. She pulled out a pack of hotdogs from the bag she bought and gave the wolf one.

The three of them slept under the stars.

When the sun rose, Dani felt the heavy head of the wolf on her lap.

"Get off," she told it.

The wolf didn't move. She opened her eyes and found a naked girl with red hair sleeping on her.

She stood quickly, the girl rolled onto the ground.

"Ow," she said, waking up.

Brightwind looked at Dani.

"Yeah, I know. You told me so," she said to the horse.

"What's wrong with ye?" the girl asked, standing. She was Scottish.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Dani responded.

"There's nothin' wrong with me."

"Where are your clothes?"

The girl looked around.

"I left 'em a while back."

"Where's that wolf?"

Brightwind whined loudly. Dani felt a cold breeze rush through her. She took off the long shirt she was wearing over her jeans and zipped up her jacket. She tossed the girl the shirt and told her to put it on while she kicked dirt onto the fire. She wrapped her bow and quiver over her back and told the girl to grab the bag. Dani sat on Brightwind, who stood up, and offered the girl her hand.

"I'm not goin' with ye," the girl said.

"There's something evil coming," Dani told her.

"A demon?"

"I think so. We need to get out of here."

The girl grabbed her hand; Dani swung her up behind her. Brightwind took off at his super speed.

"What's your name?" Dani asked.

"Rahne. Rahne Sinclair," the girl answered.

"Mutant?"

"Are ye?"

"Yep."

"Then yes."

* * *

><p><strong>Next: Cannonball and Sunspot<strong>

**Please Review!**


	2. The Heat is On

Sam Guthrie was used to work. He was the oldest of ten kids. When his father died, he took over his job at the coal mine. Everyday, he'd go to school for a few hours, work a few more, and go back home to take care of his family. Not that he was complaining, but he wanted something...better.

"Evenin' Mama!" he called as he walked into the small home on the family farm.

"Sam? Why are you here so early?" his mom asked. She was a frail looking woman, but Sam knew she could handle just about anything.

"What're you talkin' about?"

He looked over to the clock.

"Aww man. Ah forgot about school."

"That's okay, Sam. You just sit down and Ah'll get you somethin' to drink."

"Thanks, Mama."

Sam sat on the couch. He looked over at the old recliner that was his dad's favorite seat. Before he could think, something heavy landed onto his stomach. Most of the air was knocked from his lungs.

"Jeb!"

"Hey, Sam," the boy with brown hair said, rolling off his older brother.

The other kids came in and sat around Sam. It was like this everyday.

"Sam," began Paige. "Nevermind." She was the oldest girl.

"What is it?"

"What do you think of...mutants?"

Everyone went quiet.

"Ah think that if they don't hurt nobody, their all right in mah book."

"You kids stop buggin' Sam," their mom, Lucinda, said, handing Sam a glass of milk. That was Lucinda's go-to drink.

As the others walked away to play out in the fields, Paige's question rolled around in Sam's head. His brothers played Mutants out back and his sisters pretended to have the great costumes the X-Men seemed to have, but Sam never really thought about mutants.

* * *

><p>He was walking toward the mine when Joe, one of his dad's old friends, ran out.<p>

"There's a cave-in," he told Sam. "Lewis is trapped."

Sam passed the man his lunch box and ran into the mine. He nearly choked as soon as he got inside. He could hear the soft pleas for help from Lewis.

"Lew-Lewis!" he called, coughing in between syllables. "I'm—I'm comin'!"

He pushed through the tunnels, his sight blocked by thick black clouds. Lewis' screams were louder. He pushed the rubble off Lewis' body, but the older man couldn't stand. Sam's lungs filled with the the black cloud the coal generated. He thought they were going to die there. A light shined on his face. Above their heads was an opening in the tunnel leading straight to the sky. Sam gripped Lewis tighter. At least they would die in the light.

An odd heat warmed Sam's legs. He stood. The heat intensified and he shot through the hole, still clutching Lewis. The air filled their lungs and got rid of the black cloud. He was soaring through the sky at break-neck speeds. He looked down and saw his legs were on fire, leaving a trail of smoke behind them. He aimed for the ground, the heat began to lower.

The miners cheered for Sam. They took Lewis and put him on a stretcher to go to the hospital.

_Damn,_ he thought. _Ah'm a mutant._

* * *

><p>Sam sat in a small diner a few miles away from home. When he told Lucinda of his powers, she told him to go find the X-Men<p>

As he was in the middle of his burger and fries, another boy sat beside him. He was Brazilian.

"Hi," he said with a quick glance at Sam. His hands and feet were shaky and he looked like someone had just pointed a gun in his face.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeahyeahyeah," the boy replied quickly.

The waitress walked over. She asked the boy what he wanted and he just asked for water.

Sam leaned in.

"Are you a mutant?" he whispered.

The boy looked at him with wide eyes.

"Ah'm one too," Sam continued.

The boy looked around.

He whispered, "Are you being followed by crazy people with super strength too?"

Before Sam could answer, the door flew off the hinges. A shirtless man with black hair pulled back into a ponytail stood there. His muscles bulged bigger than Sam's body.

"Is that him?"

The boy nodded.

Sam's feet flared and he shot at the man, knocking him outside. They landed on the ground, hard. Sam skidded away a few feet. The man jumped up and looked at him.

"Thanks," he laughed.

He picked up Sam and threw him high into the air. The speed of the wind stung his face. He focused his energy back into his feet and changed his course.

When the diner came back into view, the boy was lying on the ground in front of the man.

Sam directed his body for the man and was swatted into the side of the diner.

"What are you?" Sam asked, pushing himself from the wreckage.

"I am Sebastian Shaw," the man proclaimed. "And you two are coming with me."

"No. We. Are. NOT!" the boy responded with gritted teeth. His skin began to fade to charcoal black and his eyes became white in the sockets. His hair moved like black fire. Real fire shot from his hands and hit the man square in the chest.

Sam ran to the boy.

"Let's go!" he screamed.

The boy flew into the air with Sam right behind him. They both left trails that disappeared after a few seconds.

They landed on the outskirts of another town.

"Ah'm Sam," he introduced, offering a hand.

"Roberto, but my friends just call me Berto," replied the boy.

"Ah'm goin' to New York to find the X-Men. Where're you goin'?"

"I guess I'll tag along. I'm just praying they'll be able to stop that guy."

Sam looked around.

"I guess we better fly. I can only go a few miles, though."

"Okay. We should also find somewhere to sleep for the night."

Sam nodded in agreement and they took off into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>Next: The Girls meet the Guys<strong>


	3. Meeting by Campfire

"PULL!" Dani called. She was wearing a new, lavender dress and no shoes as she notched an arrow onto her bow.

Rahne, a half-wolf, half-girl wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, spun around with a flat disk-like stone in her hand. Once she got the right speed, she released the stone into the air.

Dani pulled at her bow, focusing on the shrinking target.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself.

She focused on her fears and hopes. Her hands began to glow with bright blue energy. The energy flowed through her fingers to the arrow, transforming it into an arrow of pure energy. Just as the stone began to descend, she released her bow. The energized arrow flew through the air. It collided with the stone, exploding into a dozen tiny bits.

"Ye're getting' good at that," Rahne remarked. Her voice was between her normal voice and a playful yip that wouldn't be unusual from a puppy.

"And your shifting's getting better, too," Dani replied, wrapping her bow around her shoulder.

Brightwind pranced over to them.

"Is it time to go?" Dani asked.

The white stallion nodded before sitting to allow its riders to climb up. Dani stole a thick blanket and several belts and fashioned a makeshift saddle. Rahne's hair retreated into her skin as she shrank several inches back into her human form. The two girls gathered their items they stole from various stores over the last few days and tied them onto the saddle with an extra belt.

Brightwind sped toward the east at his odd one-mile-in-three-steps speed. Finally, they stopped at a stream.

"I think we're in some park," Dani thought aloud.

"At least we won't have te steal water," Rahne remarked, rubbing water onto her face.

"How long will we be here, Brightwind?"

The horse looked at Dani.

"Three days? That's longer than usual."

"How did ye do that?" Rahne asked.

"Do what?" Dani began pulling their camping gear off the back.

"How did ye know what he said?"

"I don't know. I just did. Help me start a fire."

* * *

><p>Sam and Berto landed in a small New England town.<p>

"I think I'm gonna need a few days to rest," Berto remarked as they walked into the town. Over their shoulders were their thick backpacks.

"We don't have much money," Sam reminded him.

"Well, were are we supposed to go?"

Sam looked around. The answer was so clear.

"Ah think we're goin' campin'."

* * *

><p>The boys spent the last of their money at the local outdoor store and bought the cheapest camping gear they could find. Then, they trekked out into the forest to find a nice clearing far away from the road where the strange man could track them.<p>

"Have you been campin' before?" Sam asked Berto, hammering the tent pegs into the ground.

"Once," answered Berto. "My dad took me to Germany and we camped in the Black Forest for one night. Until he missed the comfort of his hotel room."

Sam laughed with his new friend.

"You wanna get some firewood, or should Ah?"

"You get it. I think we passed a river a few meters back. I'm going to try fishing."

"Ah'll see you there."

The two boys split up.

Berto walked toward the sound of running water. He picked up a fallen branch and a sharp rock and began filing the stick to a point.

Once he found the stream, he searched the crystal waters for any fish swimming by. A large rainbow trout swam around for its evening feast.

Berto aimed his spear like on the movies and threw it into the water. The fish swam away quickly and his spear stuck in the gravel.

"Damn!" he screamed.

He pulled his spear out and ran downstream, following the trout. As he neared the run of the river, he saw smoke and a tent.

_How did he find us? _he thought.

He moved to get a clearer view of the camp. The light around his body curved and his skin faded black. Energy radiated an inch away from his body.

"Come here," a gentle voice said from the bank.

Berto looked down the river and saw a Native American girl bent over the water. One of her hands was wrapped around the trout that got away. Her other hand was stroking its stomach. The fish went limp. She pulled it out of the water.

"I'm so sorry, fishie," she whispered to it before tossing it into a bucket full of trout. None of them moved.

Berto jogged toward her as she turned to go back to her camp.

"Hey!" he called.

She turned around so fast, Berto didn't notice her pull the bow from her back. Her arrow glowed bright blue light.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Did she send you?"

"What?" Berto asked. "Are you a mutant too?"

"I asked you a question."

Berto's skin faded back to normal. "I'm Berto da Costa. No one sent me."

The girl lowered her bow, the arrow returned to wood and stone.

"Do you work for the crazy buff guy?"

"I don't work for anyone."

She turned toward her camp.

"Can my friend and I eat with you?" he asked.

"Why would I allow you to do that?" she responded, not stopping.

"Because you have a lot of fish and we're really hungry."

The girl stopped. A white stallion walked to her. Her lips moved silently as if she were having a conversation with the horse. She looked back at Berto.

"Fine. You and your friend may dine with us," she said. "If I find them a threat, I'll shoot."

"Can I at least get a name?"

"Dani."

* * *

><p>Rahne and Dani sat around their campfire, waiting for their guest to arrive. The trout sat on sticks, charring in the fire.<p>

"I don' know why we have te put up with them," Rahne moaned, pulling her fish further from the fire.

"They're mutants like us, Rahne," Dani explained. "We all need to be closer to each other. I think Brightwind's taking us to New York."

On cue, the horse trotted to the fire. He let out a soft sound.

"They're close," Dani translated.

She notched an arrow to her bow and aimed it in the direction Brightwind nodded to. Red hairs sprouted all over Rahne's body. Her fingers stretched into sharp claws and her feet elongated in case she needed to run fast.

The boys walked through the opening in the trees to the firelight. Their backpacks were on their backs; the tent joined Sam's load. Sam's eyes widened when he saw the two female mutants with their drastically different powers.

"I thought you were going to be hospitable?" Berto asked.

"I said I was going to shoot if I didn't like what I saw," corrected Dani. She lowered her bow.

"You can camp with us tonight," she continued.

Rahne shifted to her normal appearance before sitting down.

"You're lucky Rahne's a devout Christian," Dani giggled.

The boys took off their bags and sat around the fire.

"What do you do?" Dani asked Sam.

"Ah blast," he answered. "Mah body propels itself through the air."

"That's nice," she said, pulling her trout from the fire.

Sam did the same, asking, "What about you?"

Dani took a bite from her fish and chewed several times before swallowing.

"I can make your dreams come true," she said. Sam smiled. "And your nightmares." The last edition made Sam laugh a little.

"What abou' ye?" Rahne asked Berto. Her teeth elongated into fangs and sank into the fish.

Berto couldn't really explain his power. He rolled it around in his head while munching on his trout. Finally, he spoke.

"I become solar energy," he answered.

"What do ye mean by that?"

"I absorb the sun and become stronger and faster. I can fly and shoot fire from my body which becomes this solid black shadow. I don't really know what else I can do."

They talked more about themselves and their powers and where they came from until all the fish was gone. Sam and Berto pitched their tent and the four of them went to bed.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Dani cooked more fish and some berries she found. They ate again, Sam marveled at Brightwind.<p>

"Mah mama had a horse when she was a kid," he told them. "She had to give it up when Ah was born because she and mah daddy didn't have that much money."

"I miss my dad," Berto mused. "He might not have had a lot of time for me, but he was all I had."

"My father tried te kill me," Rahne said. "He thought I was a child of the devil."

"Sorry," Berto and Sam said together.

"Where are you going?" Dani asked, avoiding the topic of parents. She dumped her fish bones into a hole in the soil as a primitive fertilizer.

"Xavier Institute in New York," Berto answered.

Dani's eyes grew wide. She looked over at Brightwind. The horse nodded to her silent question.

"That's where we're going," she told them.

"We could travel together," suggested Sam a little too eagerly.

Dani looked over at her horse.

"Brightwind's faster than any other horse," she said.

"Dani, I don' think we should tell them," Rahne muttered.

"But he can only carry two at a time," she ignored.

"We can go by ourselves," Berto said, stretching.

Sam, reluctantly stood with his friend.

"See you there?" he asked.

Dani nodded.

The boys lifted their backpacks onto their shoulders and walked through the trees. Brightwind nudged Dani and the two girls sat on his back.

"Ye're not fallin' fer him, are ye?" Rahne asked, gripping Dani's waist.

Dani shook her head in a lie and they took off.

* * *

><p>A dark-haired woman walked the streets of New York. Her long black hair was pulled into a tight bun, showing more of her pale skin. She was dressed in a black corset and black leather knee-high boots. Around her shoulders was a black biker's jacket.<p>

A police cruiser pulled beside her, their lights flashed red and blue. The woman stopped and looked into the window that rolled down revealing two officers.

"Can I help you, Officers?" the woman asked, seductively.

"We're gonna need you to come with us, ma'am," the passenger cop responded.

"I'm not a ma'am. But, you do have something I need." She slid into the backseat.

"Yeah, it's called a jail cell," the driver said.

"No, I need your life-force."

She placed one finger on the both of their necks. Golden mist swirled from them into her skin. Before they crumbled to dust, she removed her fingers.

"Are you listening, boys?" she asked.

"Yes, Mistress," they both said in monotone voices.

"Good. Take me to 840 Fifth Avenue. Make it fast."

The cruiser pulled up to a magnificent mansion. Only one window was brightly lit with lights.

The black haired woman stepped out of the car.

"Thank you, boys," she said, blowing a kiss to the police.

She walked to the mansion. A silver plaque on the door was engraved in curly letters, _Hellfire Club_.

The woman pushed the doors open and strutted inside, her heels clicking on the marble floors. The mansion was decorated in expensive statues and paintings and furniture.

_ELPHIAS! _the woman's thoughts rang throughout the mansion.

A tall man with black hair fell through a door off to the side of the hall. He hurriedly tucked his shirt into his pants and pulled the belt taut.

"Not Ella again," the woman said.

The man bowed on one knee. His head sank deep into his legs.

"I am sorry, Mistress," he muttered. "I have been tempted again by your servant."

A pretty blonde woman dressed in a French maid dress followed Elphias. Once she saw her mistress, she dipped into a bow with both her knees on the floor.

"Mistress," she greeted.

"Up, you two," the woman ordered, turning her head away from them.

"Elphias, I need a council with the Inner Circle."

"That's funny," a voice said behind them. The three people looked around and saw a muscular man with black hair walk through the door. "I was just about to do the same."

"Shaw," the woman said, walking toward the man.

"Evening, Selene," he responded.

Selene wrapped her arms around his neck and they started a passionate kiss. Elphias's face turned red with anger.

Shaw pulled Selene off him.

"Later, my pet," he whispered. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Selene's servants. "What are you two waiting for? Call the council!"

Elphias looked at his mistress and she nodded. He and Ella ran up the stairs.

"I must ask Tessa to join us," Shaw said before departing the hall.

* * *

><p>Two teenage boys sat across from each other at a chessboard doubling as a table. One had frizzy strawberry-blond hair, a potbelly, and a patchy beard. The other had blond hair slicked back into a ponytail like Shaw's and cold gray eyes. The light from the fireplace flickered across their faces.<p>

The doors behind them sprung open. Elphias and a new girl, black hair and green eyes, walked in. Following them were Shaw and Selene looking fairly younger—at least in their teens.

"Good," Shaw said, noticing the boys sitting at the table. "Selene and I have much to talk about, Harry, Don."

"It's Pierce, Shaw," the blond boy said.

Shaw and Selene sat beside Harry. Shaw took the white space to Harry's right and Selene took the black space beside Shaw.

"What's the problem?" Harry asked. "Is this a meeting about more members?"

"No," Selene answered. "We've hit a snag with our mutants."

"Harry and I caught ours," Pierce said, gesturing to the wall opposite the fireplace.

There were six glass containment pods. Two of them were empty. The other four held teenagers of different nationalities.

"How did you manage four?" Shaw asked.

"We used the Minions," Harry answered.

"Without permission?"

"We got them, didn't we?"

Pierce cut in, "What's your problem?"

"da Costa's found another mutant," Shaw answered, casting a venomous glance at Harry. "This one can propel himself like a bullet. The two of them were able to outrun me."

"What do you request?"

"Just one thing. I need a small aircraft that can be piloted in low altitudes and enough room for two people."

"That'll be difficult to procure," Pierce thought out loud. "Plus, we'll need one more containment pod."

"And you, Selene?" Harry asked, looking around Shaw.

"The Moonstar girl has a horse," she admitted.

Pierce and Harry began to laugh loudly.

_SILENCE!_ Selene's thoughts lashed in a painful lash through the two boys' minds. They clutched their heads in agony.

"The horse isn't a normal horse. It can move at extreme speeds. I also found out that she's with another young mutant whose powers are unknown at this moment."

"What do you need?" Harry asked, still clutching his head.

"She needs nothing," the new girl said. "Neither does the Black King. Their mutants are coming here."

"And how do you know that, Tessa?" Pierce mocked.

"My mind is wired like a computer," she explained. "That and telekinesis, no one can hide from me, White Bishop."

The seated teenagers looked at each other.

"Fine," Shaw concluded. "We'll set a trap for our new recruits."

* * *

><p>Next Chapter: The Hellfire Club's plan bears fruit<p>

Please review.


	4. New York Winter

Brightwind took to a slow trot through the trees. The air was getting colder by every minute and Dani knew it was about to snow. She shivered while a furred Rahne tried to keep her warm.

"Where are we, Brightwind?" she asked.

The horse let out a loud neigh.

"Where?" Rahne asked.

Dani turned with a big smile on her face.

"We're in Central Park!"

Sure enough, they could see snow collecting on the grass and people in thick coats walking around. Car horns and sirens marked the sound of the city.

Rahne shed her fur, an action she immediately regretted, and the two girls slid off the horse.

"Brightwind, you'll have to hide or something," Dani whispered. "We can't walk around New York with a white horse."

The stallion let out a breath of air in agreement.

Dani and Rahne walked toward the busy street.

"Do ye have any money?" Rahne asked.

"No, why?"

"How're we gonna get a cab?"

"I hadn't thought about that."

"Couldn't Brightwind take us te Xavier's?"

Dani shook her head. "He's exhausted."

"Excuse me," a small voice said.

The girls looked around and saw an old woman with long white hair sitting on a bench behind them.

"Did you say you were going to the Xavier Institute?" she asked.

"No," Dani answered.

The woman laughed.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm here to help you."

"Dani, I don' feel too good about this," Rahne whispered.

Dani examined the old woman. But that hesitation was all the woman needed. She grabbed Dani and Rahne's hands and gold mist swirled from their skin meeting. The woman released them and pulled off her disguise. It was Selene.

Rahne and Dani stood, staring at the woman with wide pupils. Brightwind whinnied and raced toward his master. Selene threw out her hand and a ring of green fire wrapped around the three of them. When the fire died, they were gone.

* * *

><p>The flight from Siberia had practically drained Illyana Rasputin. New York wasn't as cold as Russia, but Illyana kept her neat blonde hair tucked into her fur cap. She had big news to deliver to her brother. But she wasn't going to tell him anytime soon.<p>

A pair of massive arms wrapped around her body just as she got out of view from everyone else. They pulled her back into the bathroom. She kicked and tried to swing her suitcase around. Her brother taught her some good moves.

"This girls a fighter," the man pulling her grunted.

Illyana stomped on the black boot holding her and began to run, but another man grabbed her. Illyana screamed and a glowing pink circle expanded beneath them. She and the man sank down through it.

They landed in an odd place. They stood on hard, red rock and fires blazed in the distance.

"Where the hell are we?" the man asked, releasing Illyana.

"That's exactly where you are," a familiar voice said. The man burst into flames, his skin melting off, and in a few seconds, he was a pile of smoldering ash.

Illyana looked around.

"Please don't kill me," she cried.

"I can't," the voice responded.

"Why not?"

In response, someone walked around an enormous red stalagmite. Illyana's hands shot up to her mouth as an older version of herself stared at her. Her blonde hair was longer and she wore a white and red suit that clung to her body with a white cape. Her eyes were flaming with energy and she had horns.

"What is this?" asked the younger Illyana.

"I am you in a couple months," the older Illyana answered.

"But, you're like, sixteen."

"Time travels differently in Limbo. In a couple months, a mutant is going to take over the world. The ruler named Belasco will summon you here, along with a couple of the X-Men. He will try to use your soul for his evil deeds. When someone named Daytripper comes to you, trust her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's what I heard when I was you. I'm going to put you where Peter can find you. You won't like it—I didn't—but you'll be safe until you can tell him the secret."

The same pink circle appeared beneath the younger Illyana and she disappeared.

She fell onto a long table covered with massive squares of black and white. There were four teenagers around her.

"Put her in a pod," the boy with black hair said.

The boy with blond hair pulled her off the table and threw her into a round tube of glass. He pushed a button and blue goo rolled through a tube, filling the pod. Illyana pounded on the glass, but it didn't help. She didn't disappear, no one came to save her.

* * *

><p>Sam and Berto landed in an alley in the center of Manhattan. They looked up at the building and saw the giant metal DAILY BUGLE on the roof.<p>

"Do you know where the X-Men live?" Berto asked.

"Mah mama called Charles Xavier, you know, that mutant expert, and he told me to meet him at this coffee shop in Salem Center."

"Where's that at?"

"Westchester."

"And where's that?"

"Upstate. Mama and Ah looked it up on our map."

"And we're here because?"

"Ah thought you would want to see the sights first."

They ran around the city, on foot, checking out all the free tourist attractions. Sam felt several times that they were being followed, but no one was ever behind them when he looked. That is until they arrived at the Empire State Building.

Berto took pictures of the building beside a smiling Sam. A pair of hand wrapped around their necks and faces. Rags coated in chloroform threatened to knock them out. Something pounded behind them and the hands fell away. The last thing Sam saw before he passed out, was a large white horse walk over to him.

* * *

><p>Sam woke up from something cold drip onto his face. He touched his cheek and felt another drop landed on his forehead. They were snowflakes. He pushed himself quickly, leaning against the rock behind his back. His eyes were still a little blurry, but he could make out the form of Berto. Something large beside Sam blew out a gust of air. He turned and saw a massive white body.<p>

"Brightwind?" he asked. "Where's Dani?"

The horse let out a soft neigh.

"She left you?"

The horse shook its head.

"She was kidnapped? By that woman she was running from?"

The horse nodded.

Sam shook Berto's back.

"Berto. Get the hell up!"

"Five more minutes," the dozing mutant muttered.

"We gotta find Dani and Rahne." Sam's vision was clearing up. They were under a thick canopy of leaves that was obviously man-made—or horse-made.

Sam hopped onto Brightwind's back.

"You know where she is?" he asked the stallion. Brightwind nodded.

"Take us to her."

Berto finally got to his feet, his mouth stretched pretty far from his yawn.

"What're we doing?" he asked accepting Sam's help onto the back of the horse.

"We're gonna find Dani and Rahne."

"Don't you think that's what they want us to do?" Berto asked.

"What other choice we got?"

Brightwind raced at his unusual speed with Berto screaming his head off. They stopped across the street from a glorious mansion with two guards standing at the door. Sam slid off.

"What is this place?" he asked no one in particular.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Berto moaned.

Brightwind bounced Berto off his back. The Brazilian boy landed on his face.

"Ow."

Sam was too busy reading a silver plaque on the gate post, squinting his eyes to make out the letters.

"'Hellfire Club'?" he asked.

"I heard of them," Berto stated, pushing himself to his feet. "My dad was a member when he was sixteen."

"Dani's in there somewhere."

"How do you know?"

Sam shrugged. "Just a feeling."

"How do you suppose we get passed those guards?"

Brightwind reared on his back legs and clomped down. The sound carried across to the mansion. Both guards clutched their heads and fell to the ground.

"Are they all out?" Sam asked the magical horse, getting a nod in response.

"Great. Are we supposed to just walk in there?" Berto asked.

Sam looked back at his friend. A creepy smile spread across his face.

They both shot through the air and crashed through a wall. They landed in some kind of ballroom. Sam looked over at the hallway to their left.

"That way," he said as a hundred pounding feet signaled the approach of the guards.

They flew through the corridor and crashed into a wall that opened to a small room with four stone tables. Sam felt a tug in his heart and propelled through the back wall. When he stopped, he was in some odd room consisting of a fireplace, a long table, and eight containment pods. Dani and Rahne floated in two of them.

"Those empty ones are yours," a cruel voice came from the fireplace.

Standing there were four teenagers, one of them looked like the man they fought before.

"Let them go!" Sam demanded.

The girl, Selene, laughed.

"Why would we do that?" she asked.

The boy with strawberry-blond hair, Harry, raised his hand. Instantly, Sam felt heavier. He fell to his knees and screamed in pain. Berto tried to turn into his stronger black form, but something stopped him.

"You can't change unless you have sunlight," Selene laughed. "I'm keeping you in the shadows."

Sebastian carried the boys toward the pods. He pushed a button on the console.

"We'll leave you all alone," he said as the pods filled with blue goo. "We have a party to attend and repairs to make."

Sam's legs felt numb as the goo crept up his body. His last thought was of Dani and Brightwind.

A few seconds later, his skin tingled with cold air. His arm was screaming with pain. He opened his eyes and saw he was out of the pod and several feet moved toward him. A large shard of glass was sticking out of his forearm where blood was gushing out. He looked over and saw Dani lying beside him, her pod was busted as well, and a young girl with brown hair was checking her pulse. Blackness covered his eyes. When he woke up again, he was staring at a metal ceiling and a white light. The glass was gone, but his arm was tightly bandaged.

"Shh," someone said, pushing him back down as he tried to sit up.

He looked over and saw a pretty woman with auburn hair.

"Am Ah dead?" he asked in a feeble voice.

She answered with the same accent Rahne has, "No, ye're at the Xavier Institute."

* * *

><p>Next Chapter: The New Mutants<p> 


	5. New Mutants

Dani opened her eyes and was blinded by the fluorescent light above her. She was lying in a warm, comfortable bed and she didn't want to get up.

"You're awake," a Southern accent said to her right.

She turned her head, her neck aching, and saw the smiling face of Sam Guthrie. His hair fell over his face in little clumps. Dani couldn't help but smile.

"I like your hair," she told him.

"Really? Ah was thinking about cutting it," he responded, pushing it out of his face.

"Don't. It's really cute on you."

Dani pushed herself up into a sitting position. She looked around at the other beds; some were full with kids around her age.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The Xavier Institute. This is where the X-Men live. Can you believe some of them are younger than us?"

"Really? How did we get here?"

"They rescued us. The Hellfire Club is gone. Professor Xavier wants to talk to us when the others get up."

"Rahne?"

"She's doing better than everyone." Sam laughed. "She's taking care of Brightwind in the stables." He looked down at his feet when he remembered how he got caught.

"What is it?" Dani asked, noticing his changed expression.

"Ah couldn't save you," he admitted.

"What?"

"Brightwind took me and Berto to where the Hellfire Club were keeping you. We got in and they took no time taking us down."

Dani rolled over his words in her mind, trying to find a way to tell him it was okay. She pushed herself off the bed and their lips touched. Though Sam was taken by surprise, he enjoyed her touch.

* * *

><p>Rahne brushed Brightwind's mane. Moira came into the stables and watched.<p>

"He's a beautiful horse," she said, causing Rahne to jump. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean te scare ye."

"It's okay, Ma'am."

"I'm Moira, Moira Kinross. Charles tells me ye've been on yer own for a while."

"My father tried te kill me because of what I am."

"How old are ye, Rahne?"

"I'll be thirteen next month."

"Where's yer mother?"

"I don' have one."

"How about I take care of ye?" she asked. "I know how hard it is te be a Scottish girl in America."

"I'd like that a lot."

* * *

><p>Charles wheeled through the infirmary, checking on the new mutants they rescued. Two of them had accelerated healing factors, one wasn't even hurt, and two others were out of the room as soon as they woke up. The others were still either unconscious or dealing with what had just happened to them.<p>

A young boy with blond hair was flicking on the TV in front of him. An older, Vietnamese girl sat beside him, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Good morning," he greeted them. "I am Charles Xavier."

"Hi," the boy greeted, staring at the TV.

"I'm Shan," the girl responded. "Aren't you the head teacher or something here?"

"Yes, I am. How are you feeling?"

"Better. They caught me while I was out. My mom's probably worried." She pushed the sheets off of her and moved to get out of bed.

"Don't worry," Charles told her. "I've already told all of your parents about what happened. They know you're safe and you can visit them later."

Shan let out a breath and relaxed back in bed.

"Thank you, Professor."

"It's no problem. I will see you once everyone recovers."

* * *

><p>Berto walked down the hall, looking out every window he passed. The X-Men, though some told him not to call them that, built snowmen or threw snowballs at each other as if nothing ever happened. But his stint in the Hellfire Club's pod changed him somehow. How had his own father been a member of that awful place?<p>

_Roberto,_ a voice boomed in his head. _Please follow the directions to my office._

He walked a path he never walked as if he'd walked it a hundred times. When he arrived at the familiar wood door he never saw, he didn't hesitate to push it open.

All the kids in the pods were sitting there. His eyes locked with a pretty blonde girl's and a feeling of warmth washed over him.

"Ah, Roberto, please have a seat," Charles said from behind his desk.

"'Berto," he corrected, sitting next to Sam. His eyes never left the girl, though she went back to watching Charles.

"Most of the Hellfire Club escaped," he lead with the bad news. "But Sebastian Shaw and Harry Leland are in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. Though Shaw was quite frugal with his words, Leland's mind was no match for mine."

"Why did they want us?" Sam asked.

"Like most misguided mutants, they wanted power. They were going to strengthen their forces in two ways: First, they were going to turn my X-Men into their missing pieces. Secondly, they were going to use you as their pawns."

Several of the children became restless. The idea of just being _called_ a pawn was unsettling.

Charles raised his hands. "I know how you feel. But the Hellfire Club is gone and you don't have to worry about anything. I've contacted your parents and told them you were going to stay here for a few days while you recovered. If you want to stay longer, you're welcome to stay."

"Do we get to join the X-Men?" a girl with short blonde hair with deep red streaks excitedly asked.

"No," Charles answered. "That roster's pretty much full. But I have a compromise. You'll create your new team under the leadership of Moira Kinross. She's been taking care of all of you. Like I am the mentor to the X-Men, she'll be yours. You can meet her in the infirmary and she'll tell you what you want to know."

"But isn't she a...human?" the boy with blond hair asked.

"Yes, but she knows more about mutants than anyone else would. You're in good hands."

* * *

><p>Moira paced in front of the new students in the Danger Room, scribbling something on her clipboard as she paused briefly in front of each one. She sucked on the end of her pen in thought.<p>

"What do ye do?" she asked, pointing her cap at the young boy with blond hair.

"I can translate language," he said to many of the girls' snickering.

"What types of languages?"

His eyes began to radiate a soft gold glow.

"00101100010100."

The room shook and two robots shot up from the floor. They raised their guns and aimed at the back of the boy's head.

"010011000001," he said without looking back.

The robots turned to face each other. Their guns shot beams of red energy; they both exploded on impact.

Moira smiled.

"What's yer name?"

"Doug Ramsay."

"No. What would ye like te be called?"

"Oh. I haven't really thought about that." He gave it a few minutes of thought. "I guess...Cypher?"

Moira jotted down Doug's codename and moved on to the girl standing beside him: the one with the red streaks.

"What about you?"

The girl, Tabitha Smith, walked into the center of the room.

"Dougie, can I get a bot or two?" she asked.

Doug muttered some more binary and twelve robots jumped out of the floor and revolved from the walls. Tabitha smirked.

"I like a man who can exceed my expectations."

She clasped her hands together. Bright yellow like shone through her fingers. She pulled her hands apart and had a palm full of glowing yellow orbs. She tossed them at the robots as they geared their guns to shoot at them. The orbs rolled to the feet of several robots. Tabitha winked and a series of explosions filled the room.

"That's not all, folks," she told them.

Tabitha ran around her classmates, her hands clamped together again. When she circled them, she held a massive orb. In the orb, red spots moved around.

"Plasma," Sam breathed.

"You got it, Baby."

Dani scowled.

Tabitha threw it at the robot in the middle.

"Get back!" she yelled, running back to the others. "Three." They moved to the back wall. "Two." The robots' guns charged. "One." An explosion took up most of the room, heating everyone's faces. When the smoke cleared, there were no more robots.

Tabitha smiled. "You can call me Boom-Boom."

After that, Sam flew around the room, Dani created Tabitha's worst fear, Berto turned into his black form, and Rahne shifted into a wolf. They chose Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane respectfully.

Finally, it was Amara's turn.

"Gods, let me keep in control," she whispered.

She stood in the middle of the room and closed her eyes. Her hands instantly got warmer but also wet. She opened her eyes and found lava dripping from her fingers.

"Whoa," Berto breathed.

Amara closed her eyes and focused for the lava to stop. She could still feel it drip.

_Please, Lord Hephaestus, let it turn off_, she thought.

She focused harder. Her legs shook and she fell to her knees. The lava stopped flowing.

"Wh-what...do you think...I should be called?" she asked.

"I believe the right fit for ye is Magma," Moira offered.

"Magma," Amara concluded.

"Well, now we have our team..."

Moira's words were cut off by a soft pink light filling the room. Illyana stepped out of the circle that emitted the light and looked around.

"Am I too late?" she asked.

"No," Moira answered. "I believe ye should be on this team too. What would ye like te be called, Illyana?"

"Um...I don't know..." She looked around at the others. "Magik?"

Moira smiled.

"That's good. I want ye all to come up with a team name and a field leader."

"Dr. Kinross?" Sam spoke up. "Ah think Ah got a name for us."

Everyone looked at him. He cleared his throat.

"What about the New Mutants?"

The team looked at Moira.

"I think we've found our name," she said. "And our field leader."

Sam began to protest, but Berto clapped him on the back. Everyone smiled in approval.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p>

Next Chapter: The New Mutants see action.


	6. Battle of Genosha

Sam shot through the air with Berto right behind him. Dani and Tabitha shot their arrows and bombs at the rampaging machines while Rahne clawed them and Amara spread her lava around their wheels. Moira watched from the War Room as her team trained in the Danger Room. Doug and Illyana watch with her.

"When can we go in?" Illyana asked.

"Later," Moira answered. "Yer powers are different than the others."

Doug asked, "Where's Shan?"

"She's with Charles."

* * *

><p>Bobby Drake was glazing the snow-covered basketball court with ice. His eyes were glowing bright pink just like Shan's. Charles was sitting beside her with a blanket over his legs.<p>

"Careful, Shan," he coached. "Don't push him too much."

"Don't worry, Prof.," Shan responded.

"Did you just call me Prof.?"

"Yeah."

"Shan, let go."

"What? Why?"

"Your mind is a two-way street. You're taking in a little of Bobby. Let go."

"Okay."

Shan's eyes return to normal. Bobby blinked and shook his head.

"That was wild," he said with a huge smile on his face.

"I think that'll be enough—AHHH!" Charles screamed in pain. Shan and Bobby rushed to his side.

"I'm fine," he told them. "Get inside."

He wheeled into the mansion as fast as he could. Bobby and Shan ran after him.

* * *

><p>The inhabitants of the mansion sat in the library. Sam paced back and forth with Scott, the leader of the X-Men. The demon, Kurt, hung upside-down from the banister and Illyana sat between her brother, Peter, and his girlfriend, Kitty.<p>

"What's going on?" Dani asked no one in particular.

Logan ran into the room.

"Turn on the news," he barked at Moira.

She lifted the black remote in her hand and flicked the TV on.

They were getting live footage of the Statue of Liberty. Only it had been changed to resemble some man. A fuzzy purple form floated beside it. It was a miniature of the statue. Charles and the other telepaths floated into view. They were different colors, but were fuzzy and see-through like the man.

"What is this?"

_Ah, Charles. Come to enjoy the show? _the man asked in their minds and the minds of everyone in the world.

Charles responded, _I'm here to stop you, Erik._

_And you brought your students. Do you think you all are enough to stop me?_

_More than enough._

A wall formed around Charles and Erik. The telepaths pounded the wall, but couldn't get through. Suddenly, the wall shattered and there was a blinding purple light. When the light faded, a solid man as tall as the Statue of Magneto with a red suit and a blue helmet.

"My students, I am Onslaught!" the man boomed in Charles' and Erik's voices. "And you are expelled."

He raised his hand and purple energy rang through the air. The telepaths disappeared. All the other students were on the edge of their seats.

Shan screamed in agony as she clutched her head. Moira rushed to her side. She passed out.

When Shan woke up, she was in the infirmary. Tabitha was standing beside her.

"Dr. Kinross said you lost your telepathy," she told her.

"I know," Shan admited. "I can't hold on to anything."

Tabitha sat beside her.

"Can I tell you something, Tabby?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Until I came here, I was using my power to control people, make them forget. There was this one girl back in high school. She was a cheerleader. When my power came in, I forced her to...I forced her to kiss me."

"You're a lesbian?"

"Yeah. It's not something you display on your chest, but it's who I am."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, if we don't make it from this Onslaught thing, then I want someone to know me. Someone to get inside my head, for once."

Tabitha grabbed Shan's hand.

"I may not be a lez, but I know how you feel," she said. "Your love is somewhat frowned upon."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think I love Sam. But he's dating Dani."

Shan patted Tabitha's hand.

"You'll find someone," she reassured. "Sam is a pretty good guy. There aren't a lot of them out there, but there will be another."

The two girls smiled at each other.

"That Bobby's kinda cute," Tabitha joked.

They both laughed.

Sam grasped Dani's hand as they sped over Africa in the top-secret Blackbird. Genosha was just a few milliseconds away.

"Dani," he whispered. "I will always love you. If I die, I want you to go to my home in Kentucky and watch over my Mama. I think my sister, Paige, might be a mutant. Take care of them."

"And what if I die with you?" she asked.

"Then, I hope we'll be buried together. I want to hold your hand for all eternity."

Dani smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Fliers," Scott announced.

Sam unbuckled himself, kissed Dani, and they walked to the back with the others. The ramp lowered and Evangeline Whedon cut her hand and jumped out, turning into a serpentine dragon. Everyone else followed her lead.

Sam blasted downwards and snatched a few Genoshans and brought them out of the way. Dani fired arrow after arrow from Victor's embrace. Berto and Amara shot streams of fire at the Brotherhood behind the Genoshans. The X-Men were fierce fighters and the New Mutants had to prove they were just as good.

A girl with red hair started shooting flames at them. Scott told them through their ear pieces that the Genoshans were under Onslaught's control. Twin mutants flew into the air. They grasped hands and a flash of white light blinded Sam and Ororo. The fall would have killed anyone else, but Sam was still in his blast field. He fell to the ground and created a massive creator. But he got up without a scratch.

The others came up on ATVs. Tabitha shot bomb after bomb into the crowd, scattering them.

Sam shot back into the air and knocked the male twin to the ground. Three of the X-Men ran into the crowd as the larger ones pushed everyone out of the way. Sam looked around. They were losing.

* * *

><p>Amara landed beside Scott.<p>

"I need a wall of rock," he ordered.

"I can't do that!" she protested.

"I believe in you."

Amara stood in front of the other. The attacks soared past her. She took a deep breath.

"Gods, aid me," she prayed.

She felt the earth beneath her feet start to move. The more she focused, the more connected she was. Her body became hotter. She was sweating bullets that turned into molten lava. Her skin burst into flames. A thin wall between the X-Men and the Genoshans shot up from the ground. Amara smiled, but it was short lived. Her body was made of magma. She fainted.

* * *

><p>Sam knocked down several of the Genoshans in front of Dani.<p>

"I love you!" she told him.

He landed beside her and they kissed.

Hank fiddled with Amara as she was starting to come to. Berto landed beside her, smiling.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You're naked," he told her.

She pulled her sheet over her face, embarrassed.

"Gods, why me?"

"Hank, how long until she can fight again?" Berto asked.

"She needs her rest," he answered. "The sun's setting. Your power's about to go out."

"How are we going to beat someone who's unbeatable?"

But they didn't have to worry. A wave of green energy surged over them and they were all energized. Amara jumped up with the sheet around her and turned her body into magma, burning the sheet away. The fight turned around and the Genoshans went with it.

Soon, it was all over. Victor was fighting Jean and then a purple explosion came from Jean's body. She fell into Victor's arms. Back at the mansion, Shan's telepathy came back. Onslaught was finished thanks to the teamwork of the X-Men. Several of the Genoshans and one of the Brotherhood joined the X-Men back to their home.

Their happiness was short lived when they found out Charles was gone. Moira swore to keep them all, no matter what happened.

* * *

><p>Dani and Sam took some time off and visited his family back in Kentucky.<p>

"Sam!" a girl with blonde hair screamed, running into his arms.

"Dani, this is Paige," he grunted.

"Dani?" Paige asked. "This is the Dani you were talking about?"

Sam nodded.

Dani raised a hand, but Paige simply pulled her into a hug. The other Guthrie kids came running out. Sam scooped them all up into a hug.

"Sam, did you see what Paige can do?" the brother with red hair, Jay, asked.

"No. What can you do Paige?"

Paige made a shy smile. She pulled at her face and her skin tore off. The more she pulled, the more skin she removed until she was standing there made out of bronze.

"Looks like we need to call the X-Men," Dani joked.

* * *

><p>End of First Quarter.<p>

The New Mutants will be back soon. Please Review.


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